The US Navy has selected Radiant to deploy a transportable nuclear microreactor at a military installation in Indiana, adding to efforts to secure reliable power for critical defense infrastructure.
Radiant will install its Kaleidos microreactor at Naval Weapons Station Crane, where the project aims to strengthen energy resilience for facilities supporting naval operations.
The selection is part of the army-led Janus program, which seeks to develop advanced nuclear power systems for military installations.
Kaleidos is a factory-built reactor designed to generate 1 megawatt of electricity and operate independently of the commercial power grid. Radiant said each unit can provide up to five years of power before refueling, with a planned service life of 20 years.
The transportable design is intended to reduce the need for extensive construction at deployment sites. According to Radiant, the system requires no cooling water or major excavation, allowing it to be transported by land, sea, or air.
Vice Admiral Brad Collins, commander of Navy Installations Command, said the project would help strengthen the resilience of shore infrastructure supporting the fleet.
“By investing in advanced capabilities like this microreactor at Crane, we are providing our Shore infrastructure with the resources needed to sustain the mission and empower our warfighters,” he said.
Radiant Advances Kaleidos Microreactor Testing
The Crane project builds on Radiant’s ongoing effort to demonstrate that Kaleidos can provide reliable power under real operating conditions.
The company is testing the reactor at the Department of Energy’s Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments facility at Idaho National Laboratory.
Radiant said the department awarded it exclusive access to the test facility for one year following a competitive selection process.
The campaign is designed to test the reactor at full power over an extended period, using the same design and specially specified fresh fuel intended for customer deployments. Results from the testing are expected to help establish the system’s performance and reliability before wider deployment.